brown



PATENTED JAN. 27, 1852. G.

PIANOF N 0 I M WA R M 0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEO. BROWN, OF BOSTON, MASSAGHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE BROWN AND JOHN MUNRO.

PIANOFORTE-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,680, dated January 27, 1852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon Brown, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Piccolo Pianoforte-Action; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and accompanying drawing, letters, figures, and references thereof.

The said drawing denotes a side elevation of my improved action, and I wish itdistinctly understood that my invention has reference to those piano forties usually termed upright piccolo, or boudoir pianos, and not to those generally termed horizontal pianos, it being well known that in the former kind, the plane of the strings is a vertical or upright one, while in the latter kind it is horizontal one.

In the said drawing A, exhibits the key lever; B, the hammer; C, the string; D, the damper; E, the hammer block hinged to an arm F, projecting from a horizontal rail G.

H, is the fly of the grasshopper I, which grasshopper is fixed directly to the key lever A, as it is in the horizontal actions.

K, is the back catch, which in this case is made to extend upward from the front side of the grasshopper I, as seen in the drawing. The front side of this back catch, acts against the rear side of the bearer L, which is fastened by a wire a, to the hammer block. The damper is attached by a wire 6, to an upright lever M, which turns on a center or joint pin at 0, and is supported by a horizontal rail'N. The said lever M, is raised (so as to elevate the damper off the string,) by a sticker or rod 0, which rests on the key lever, and plays through projections P, Q, from the rail N. A spring R, serves to throw the damper down upon the string. The damper stem or wire 12,

plays close by the side of the stem cl, of the hammer, but not so as to touch or interfere with such stem. The back rests of the hammer and damper,.are shown at e, and f, as applied to a stationary rail S. A small spring 9, attached to the arm F, is made to press against the hammer stem, or pass through a small projection it, made thereon, the office of the said spring being to throw the hammer off the string.

By my improved method of arranging and constructing the parts of the action, I am enabled to make it operate without the usual appendage of a secondary lever and striker applied to the key lever, and thus materially simplify the action or reduce its parts, and make it more like the ordinary horizontal action.

The peculiar arrangement of the back catch and its bearer, is an important feature in my improved action. So is that of the damper with respect to the hammer head. In other actions for piccolo piano fortes, the dampers are arranged above the ham mers, and in consequence of the small distance which of necessity there must be between the bridge of the strings and the hammers of many of the treble strings, the dampers have little or no effect on the strings when they are arranged above the hammer as in the old way. But in my improved arrangement, they can operate to much better advantage.

I therefore claim- In the upright or piccolo piano forte action, the arrangement of the back catch bearer L, in front of the back catch, and so that the rear side of the bearer shall operate in connection with the front side of the back catch.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature, this fifth "day of August,

GEORGE BROWN Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, CALE ED Y. 

